Key case



Jan. 1, 1952 s, w, 5 2,580,845

KEY CASE Filed Oct. 19, 1949 F17] 1 7.2 Fay) Eye Ey' F76 1 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY CASE Sam Women Sam, Chicago, 111. Application October 19, 1949, Serial No. 122,310

4 Claims.

My invention relates to key cases having a common key shaft. It embodies a lace disclosed in my copending application for patent Serial Number'202,905 filed December 2'7, 1950, in an improved form in that its receptacle has a slit opening instead of a circular opening to its receptacle for a reenforcing member.

An object of my invention is to provide a key case whose common key shaft has flanged ends that do not loosen off in use and are not exposed and projecting.

Another object is to provide a key case that can be molded in one rubber piece.

Other objects and advantages become apparent as the description proceeds.

I attain these objects by a device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an axial, sectional view of a common key shaft shown separated and disintegrated from the key case I; and Figure 2 is an end view of the same;

Figure 3 is an axial, sectional view of a common key shaft without the reenforcing member 8 and Figure 4 is an end view of the same.

Figure 5 is an axial, sectional view of a, reinforcing member 9; and Figure 6 is an end view of the same.

Figures 7, 8 and 10 are the front, side and top views respectively of one form of the key case I.

Figure 9 is a side view of an alternative form of the key case I.

Figure 11 is a detached view of an alternative form of a string member for attaching the key case I to a garment, pocket book et cetera.

The key case I is made entirely of stretchable, elastic soft rubber and molded entirely in a single, integral piece except for the separate, detachable reenforcing member 9 which may be made of stainless steel. The key case I has an external soft rubber string member I at whose free end is an integral soft rubber loop 8 for attachment to a bolt et cetera or, as an alternative as shown in Figure 11, an integral soft rubber flange 3 having a reenforcing member 9 and a slit opening 2. The lower end 6 of the key case I encloses the free ends of keys strung on common key shaft 4 one of whose ends is formed integrally with the wall of key case I and the other of whose ends is formed integrally with the flange 3 which has an integral receptacle having a slit opening 2 and which is adapted to conveniently admit and to hold securely and detachably a separate, detachable, thin, flat reenforcing member 9. The flange 3 is adapted to be conveniently drawable through the eyelets of keys when empty but undrawable when the flange 3 holds reenforcing member 9.

may be inserted through the eyelet of a key to.

grasp an edge of flange 3 and may then be withdrawn from the eyelet of the key pulling flange 3 through the eyelet of the key. Then reenforcin member 9 may be inserted into the receptacle of flange 3 by way of its slit opening 2 with the aid of a special spring operated pry which may be used to pry apart the slit opening 2 and subsequently also to pry apart the circular opening to the pocket I2 formed integral with the wall of key case I to insert the reenforced flange 3 into the pocket.

The keys occupy the hollow space I0 in the key case Referring to Figure 9, the two external front and back concavities II permit them to bulge out with the addition of keys without spreading apart the edges of slit opening 5.

The key case I is thus expansible and contractible. The shaft 4 may be short enough so that even a single ordinary key is pressed tightly by the front and back walls of key case I. An elastic pocket I2 extends out of the inside surface of the wall of key case I and is formed integrally with said wall. Pocket I2 is similar to flange 3 with its receptacle and is adapted to hold securely flange 3 reenforced by reenforcing member 9. p

I claim:

1. A key case conprising an elastic wall member, an elastic key shaft having one end integrally attached to the inner surface of one side of said wall member, a hollow elastic member integrally connected to the other end of said key shaft and having an aperture at a face, and a reenforcing member, said hollow elastic member adapted to be stretched out of normal shape to receive said reenforcing member through said aperture and to hold said reenforcing member when the said hollow elastic member has resumed its normal shape, said hollow elastic member, when containing said reenforcing member, adapted to act as a stop to prevent removal of keys ringed on said key shaft, said wall member adapted to enclose keys ringed on said key shaft.

2. Adapted for use as the principal component of a key case as set forth in claim 1, in combination, an elastic wall member, an elastic key shaft having one end integrally attached to the inner surface of one side of said wall member, and a hollow elastic member integrally connected to the other end of said key shaft and having an aperture at a face; said hollow elastic member adapted to be stretched out of normal shape to receive a reenforcing component through said aperture and to hold a said reenforcing component when the said hollow elastic member has resumed its normal shape, said hollow elastic member, when containing a said reenforcing component, adapted to act as a stop to prevent removal of keys ringed on said key shaft, said wall member adapted to enclose keys ringed on said key shaft.

3. A key case as set forth in claim '1 also comprising a second hollow elastic member integrally connected to the inner surface of said wall mem' her at the side of said wall member opposite to the side of said wall member at which said key shaft is attached and having an aperture, said second hollow elastic member adapted to be stretched out of normal shape to receive said first hollow elastic member which holds saidreenforcing memberthrough said aperture of said second hollow elastic member and to hold securely said first hollow elastic member which holds said reen forcing member when said second hollow elastic member has resumed its normal shape.

4. A'key case as set forth in claim 1 in which said wall member has an annular segment normally enclosing laterally and thus holding securely the free ends of keys ringed on said key wall member.

SAM WOMEN SAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 315,303 Lambert Apr. 7, 1885 649,217 Scherer May 8, 1900 842,037 Wallerstedt Jan. 22, 1907 1,767,732 Breadon June 24, 1930 1,974,160 Peirson Sept. 18, 1934 2,004,702 Luttmann, Jr June 11, 1935 2,006,707 Bashara July 2, 1935 2,066,957 Wratschko Jan. 5, 1937 2,214,030 Pereles Sept. 10, 1940 2,274,820 Bills Mar. 3, 1942 2,278,088 Nelson Mar. 31, 1942 2,291,089 Okun July 28, 1942 2,457,195 Bagnall, Jr. Dec. 28, 1948 2,479,524 Tarbox Aug. 16, 1949 2,493,554 Simon Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 735,173 France Aug. 23, 1932 

